July 2016

The common names of wild flowers always intrigues me. Now take harebells (also known as Scottish bluebells). These plants have a lovely delicate blue flower and we are lucky to have a few patches growing amongst the grasses on the Green. I always assumed harebell is so called, because the flower is bell shaped (pretty obvious) and it grows in a habitat often associated with hares. So when I started reading about this plant, I began to realise that this is not the whole story. Seemingly, according to some sources, they are so called because the juice of the flowers can be drunk by witches, who will themselves be turned into hares! In fact the more I read about harebells the more I realised they are steeped in folklore and are considered unlucky. They are closely associated with fairies and witches and can help humans see into the spirit world. Hmm, I think there is more to these plants than meets the eye - might give them a bit a wide berth from now on!

There are also some quite large clusters of creamy white flowers clearly visible by the brook at the moment. These belong to the herb, meadowsweet, which likes to grow by the brook and in damp places. It is another intriguing plant, which has been used over the centuries, due to its sweet flavour and its medicinal properties. If you feel like something different then you could always try a meadowsweet sorbet! I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds quite fun!

An early(ish) morning shot of the cattle grazing on the Green. It is always so peaceful over there at that time of day when the light is lovely and soft.

Just to remind you that we have another work party on the 7th August - 10.00 - 12.00. We will be down the Abnall's lane end of the Green and will be cutting nettle and dock and the odd thistle. Be great to see you!